This position is eligible for EDRP, a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of your start date. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the application. Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov for questions.
Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Education (1) Have a doctoral degree in psychology from a graduate program in psychology accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA), the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS), or the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) at the time the program was completed. The specialty area of the degree must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed. For the purpose of meeting this requirement, the term "specialty area" refers to the specific specialty areas recognized by the accrediting body and not to specific job duties that might require special skills. Currently, APA accredits doctoral programs in the specialty areas of clinical psychology, counseling psychology, school psychology, or combinations of two or more of those areas. PCSAS accredits doctoral programs in psychological clinical science. CPA accredits doctoral programs in clinical psychology, counseling psychology, clinical neuropsychology, and school psychology. There are no job assignments in VHA that require the skills of a school psychologist; therefore, an applicant with a degree in the specialty area of school psychology is not eligible for appointment. Strictly for the purpose of determining eligibility for appointment as a psychologist in VHA, there is no distinction between the specialty areas (with the exception of school psychology). OR, (2) Have a doctoral degree in any area of psychology and, in addition, successfully complete a re-specialization program (including documentation of an approved internship completed as part of the re-specialization program) meeting both of the following conditions: (a) The re-specialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program; and, (b) the specialty in which the applicant is retrained must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed. OR, (3) Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution, with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature.] AND, Internships: (a) Have successfully completed a professional psychology internship training program that was accredited by APA or CPA at the time the program was completed and that is consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed. OR, (b) New VHA psychology internship programs that are in the process of applying for APA accreditation are acceptable in fulfillment of the internship requirement, provided that such programs were sanctioned by the VHA Central Office Program Director for Psychology and the VHA Office of Academic Affiliations at the time that the individual was an intern; OR, (c) VHA facilities that offered full-time, one-year pre-doctoral internships prior to PL 96-151 (pre1979) are considered to be acceptable in fulfillment of the internship requirement; OR, (d) Applicants who completed an internship that was not accredited by APA or CPA at the time the program was completed may be considered eligible for hire only if they are currently board certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology in a specialty area that is consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed. (NOTE: Once board certified, the employee is required to maintain board certification.) OR, (e) Applicants who have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally accredited institution with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature may fulfill this internship requirement by having the equivalent of a one-year supervised internship experience in a site specifically acceptable to the candidate's doctoral program. If the internship experience is not noted on the applicant's official transcript, the applicant must provide a statement from the doctoral program verifying that the equivalent of a one-year supervised internship experience was completed in a site acceptable to the doctoral program. Licensure. Hold a full, current, and unrestricted license to practice psychology at the doctoral level in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or the District of Columbia. English Language Proficiency. Psychologists must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Grade Determinations: Psychology Program Manager, GS-14 Experience. At least three years of experience as a professional psychologist, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-13 grade level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to organize work, set priorities, delegate tasks, and meet multiple deadlines. Knowledge of and ability to utilize evidence based practices and clinical practice guidelines appropriately and ability to guide staff in using these tools. Ability to deal effectively with individuals or groups representing widely divergent backgrounds, interests, and points of view. Skill in managing and directing the work of others to accomplish program goals and objectives. Ability to translate management goals and objectives into well-coordinated and controlled work operations. Ability to establish and monitor production and performance priorities and standards. Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems and to develop and implement solutions that result in sound operation of the program. Preferred Experience: Demonstrated expertise in the delivery of time-limited, evidence-based psychotherapies for trauma-related disorders, with a strong foundation in diagnostic assessment and treatment planning for complex mental health presentations. Extensive clinical experience working with Veteran and/or military populations, particularly withing the context of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment. Advanced training and/or certification in evidence-based treatments for PTDS (e.g., Cognitive Processing Therapy, Prolonged Exposure, EMDR), with a clear record of applying these interventions in high-acuity or specialty care settings. Experience providing clinical supervision, consultations, or program coordination within interdisciplinary teams. Demonstrated leadership in program development, quality improvement or clinical training initiatives related to trauma-focused care. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II appendix G18, Psychologist Qualification Standards, GS-180, Veterans Health Administration. Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary with prolonged periods of sitting. The work requires moderate lifting, carrying, pushing, standing; reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; ability to read without strain; ability to hear the whispered voice with or without hearing aid; emotional & mental stability.
Duties include, but are not limited to: Develops individual, group and family psychotherapy and psychoeducation protocols for PTSD treatment and ensures Veterans are assigned as clinically indicated. Provides education and training to the PTSD Clinical Team and other BHIP and Mental Health Service clinical staff (both on main campus and in the Community Based Outpatient Clinics) and primary care and other medical professionals to assist with accurate diagnosing and the implementation of care for patients with PTSD. Manages and tracks all PTSD Clinical Team Consults; analyzes and reports data and treatment needs and outcomes to Mental Health Service Management. Complies with and oversees the PTSD Clinical Team's compliance with national and local performance standards, including timely health care screening and completion of clinical reminders for all patients. Provides a full range of psychological testing, psychodiagnostics, assessment services including administration, interpretation and reporting writing of psychological testing. Offers a variety of psychological interventions, to include clinical skills in evidenced based treatments appropriate for the nature of the referral problem. Priority is given to patients seeking PTSD treatment; however, treatment types and needs would be based on the overall clinical demands within the Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP). Provides consultation services to other health care providers in BHIP as well as outpatient, inpatient, residential, and community-based health care settings in PTSD treatment, as well as differential diagnosis, treatment planning recommendations, recommendations regarding interventions with family or significant others, or in other clinical areas which are addressed by performance standards or clinical reminders. Consult with and serve as a resource for other professional staff concerning the need for and development of psychological services. Provides clinical supervision and instruction for psychology interns, post-doctoral psychology fellows, social work interns, and licensed social workers seeking senior social work licensure. Supervision includes, but is not limited to, individual, group and live supervision as well as in-person supervision (e.g., co-leading groups), and video/audio-tape review. Participates in screening, interview and selection of psychology and social work internship and post-doctoral fellow applicants. Participates in on-going and advanced required training to provide for clinical supervision of psychology and social work interns. Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. work schedule, but work schedule may be adjusted to meet the needs of the service. Compressed/Flexible: May be Available Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov for questions/assistance. Learn more Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized